I had been excited to see Trap for a while, I am a big fan of M. Night Shyamalan and have enjoyed far more of his movies than I have not and Trap is another hit for him. I am kind of shocked to see this one getting some negative reviews as I thought that it was a lot of fun. The tension this movie has is through the roof, but it is not in the way you would expect.
How to Download Trap
Trap was released on July 24, 2024. You should be able to download it from MAX about 45 days after its theatrical release. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and check the current availability.
The Movie Review
Now, I will warn you, if you have watched the trailer and do not care for the music of “Lady Raven” that plays in the trailer. Her music which is actually M. Night Shyamalan’s very talented daughter, Saleka Shyamalan plays through a large portion of the movie. This could be seen as nepotism, but I do not think that is the case at all as she does a fantastic job and she is one heck of a performer.
Josh Hartnett Shines as the Lead
The star of Trap is Josh Hartnett. My wife made the point that it is funny how we are so old that we have basically gone from Josh Hartnett being the heartthrob to the dad, although he still looks pretty damn good. Anyway, Josh Hartnett is just fantastic in this role as an all-American dad called Cooper who is being the best dad ever by taking his teenage daughter, Riley to a concert, to see her favorite artist, Lady Raven.
The Butcher: A Terrifying Twist
Of course, the trailer tells you the twist and the twist is that this all-American superdad is a serial killer known as The Butcher and he has been terrorizing Philadelphia for some time. We find out bits of information and this guy is truly horrific in the way he cuts up his victims.
The Concert as a Deadly Trap
The thing is, this concert is a trap, and a big-time criminal profiler is leading a case to trap The Butcher as they have found out, he is going to be at the Lady Raven concert. How the heck could they actually know he would be at the concert? Well, it may sound far-fetched and ridiculous, but I feel that they explain it very well.
A Suspenseful Cat-and-Mouse Game
Cooper finds out about this “trap” and he starts to panic and try to figure out a way out of this packed arena that has thousands of fans and easily a few hundred cops, swat team guys, security, and FBI agents all over the place. Now, you want Cooper to get caught because he is a monstrous serial killer, but they do also show his loving dad’s side. He is clearly a sociopath who can switch between the two at the flick of a switch.
The Complex Tension in Trap
M. Night Shyamalan does a great job of never trying to make you justify the actions of this monster. However, the tension this movie has is so well done, that you truly wonder how the heck is he going to get out of this and you kind of want to see him get out of it. Yet, at the same time you know this guy is a monster so you also want him to get caught. Usually, you feel the tension for the victim, but this movie flips that and makes you feel it for the monstrous serial killer.
Final Thoughts on Trap
I had so much fun with this one and I think that M. Night Shyamalan is on a real role recently and I would say out of his last few movies, this is my favorite. Like most of his stuff, people will be really divided on this one I am sure and I have seen that my opinion is certainly in the minority. If you are in the mood for a tense and fun thriller I encourage you to make the effort to see this one.
